218 HUNTING IN MANY COUNTRIES. 



though scent had been fair with the staghounds on the 

 previous day, it was miserable on this occasion. The 

 fourth day was with the staghounds again, the meet 

 being at Coiners Gate. And now we saw a fresh 

 method of proceeding, for a stag had been harboured 

 in a very small and rough piece of ground on the open moor,^ 

 and the whole pack was taken straight to the place. The stag 

 went away at once up a steep incline, with the pack almost 

 at his heels, but he quickly put a gap between himself ajid 

 his pursuers, and afterwards provided a fine hunt. Where he 

 went at first I do not recollect, but he was a long time on open 

 ground, and then descended to the Barle Valley. I remember 

 that he had hounds all round him near Marsh bridge, but he 

 broke away again and went down the fields, past Dulverton, 

 and was taken very near the junction of the rivers Barle and 

 Exe. This was a capital hunt of about three hours, and what 

 impressed me most about it was that once when the pack 

 were running through deep heather, with the stag apparently 

 a good way ahead, the first whipper-in suddenly appeared 

 with some half-dozen couples of hounds, which had followed 

 another scent an hour before, and threw them in at head, 

 the result being an immediate quickening up in the pace. It 

 was a trying day for horses, and of the large field that 

 had been present at the meet I do^ not think more than a 

 fifth survived to the end of the hunt. I have a very clear 

 recollection of that day, and also of my ride home from about 

 three miles south of Dulverton to Porlock Weir. How far 

 it may be I do not exactly know, but with a tired horse it 

 took me many hours, though I gave him meal and water and 

 a feed of com at Dulverton, and a second drink at Exford. 

 Anyhow, of our particular party I was the only survivor, and 

 the others who did not see the finish, owing to their horses 

 being beaten, were lucky enough to secxire a trap at Exford 

 and leave thedr horses tO' come on later — or on the following 

 day. 



Whether we saw the Harriers or the Exmoor Foxhounds 

 again on the Friday I cannot remember. I know we hunted 

 with one of the two packs I have named, but I have no recol- 

 lection of the sport, and may pass on to the Saturday, when 

 the staghounds met at Slowley, near Dunster, and an hour 



